Tag Archives: court ruling

The latest news from the High Court workfare appeal is that Cait Reilly was forced to work unlawfully in a huge blow to Iain Duncan Smith’s welfare reforms. According to @shivmalik1 all workfare schemes could be unlawful except Mandatory Work Activity.

The great charity workfare exodus means even this looks in doubt. The Children’s Society announced this week they would no longer take part in the Mandatory Work Activity scheme. This follows the decision of SENSE to pull out whilst the YMCA are believed to be considering their position.

They join Scope, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Shelter, Oxfam, Age UK and Marie Curie, who have all made announcement rejecting forced unpaid work.

Sadly some charities are not so ethical. Whilst Marie Curie were one of the first charities to abandon workfare, the similar charity, Sue Ryder are unrepentant. This is despite the announcement that sick and disabled claimants can now be sent on workfare.

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) have amended their statement to claim they will not force people on sickness or disability benefits to work unpaid. However the shocking truth is that many sick and disabled claimants are now on mainstream unemployment benefits due to the ruthless re-assessments. With no health checks or medical advice prior to starting workfare, it will possibly take a tragedy before TCV wake up to what they are involved in.

Others charities still using workfare include The Salvation Army, despite a string of misleading and contradictory statements intended to hide their use of forced work. The RSPCA, who are opposed to animals being forced to work in the Circus, have no such scruples when it comes to human beings and also happily take unpaid staff on workfare schemes.

The great workfare charity exodus will only lead to even more pressure on those remaining organisations still happy to exploit unemployed, sick and disabled claimants. Why not start now by telling them what you think: @RSPCA_official, @TCVtweets, @PDSA_HQ, @salvationarmyuk, @Sue_Ryder

And join the National Week of Action Against Workfare beginning on 18th March and let’s finish off what’s left of Iain Duncan Smith’s workfare obsession: http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=1996

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Today, Netpol supporters received our November 2016 newsletter in their email in-boxes. It is now also available online here. If you would like to receive future email updates, sign up to Netpol’s ‘announcements’ list here. We would also like to ask for your help: if you think the work we undertake is important and worth … The post Read our November 2016 new […]